Goosefeather's Path
by LightningZephyr
Summary: Goosekit is an ordinary kit—or is he? With horrible parents, a friendly sister, and a shadowed destiny not even StarClan can see, he sure is in for an interesting life! Rated T to be safe. Being rewritten to add more detail and make it better. Basically what I think GC should have bee like.
1. Allegiances

Allegiances

ThunderClan

Leader

Beestar—brown tabby tom

Deputy

Eagleflight—pale gray tom

Medicine Cat

Ryeclaw—light brown tom with green eyes

Warriors

Nettlestripe—handsome ginger tom.

Twigtail—wiry brown she-cat

Silverhawk—silver tom with blue eyes

Apprentice, Starlingpaw

Gorseclaw—dark brown tabby tom

Spottedpelt—pretty tortoiseshell she-cat

Hawkdust—ginger-colored tom

Apprentice, Mumblepaw

Stormtalon—big gray tomcat

Thrushfeather—sandy gray tom

Lilysong—pretty white she-cat

Frostwhisker—white tom

Apprentice, Larkpaw

Patchfang—patchy-furred calico

Redstorm—dark, reddish tom

Dustynose—pale gray tom

Featherheart—silver she-cat

Weedwhisker—ginger tom

Mumblefoot—clumsy brown tom

Apprentices

Starlingpaw—dark tabbyshe-cat

Larkpaw—tortoiseshell she-cat

Stonepaw—gray tabby tom

Stormpaw—blue-gray tom

Queens

Sweetbriar—tortoiseshell and white fur,mother of Redstorm's kits: Pinekit (reddish tom), and Poppykit(ginger she-kit)

Mosswillow—tortoiseshell fur, mother of Frostwhisker's kits: Sunkit (light colored she-kit), Mallowkit(a tabby), Adderkit (brown tabby tom), and Tawnykit (light colored tabby tom)

Wolfcoat—short gray fur and green eyes, mother of Silverhawk's kits, Goosekit(speckled gray tom) and Moonkit (silver she-kit)

Elders

Seedpelt—light brown tom

Deerdapple—very old black and silver tabby she-cat


	2. Chapter 1

"Why hasn't Goosekit opened his eyes yet?" That was the first thing the kit heard when he opened hiseyes. "Moonkit opened hers this morning, why hasn't he? He is older."

"Yeah! Why not?"

"Shut it, Stormpaw—you too, Adderkit. My son will open his eyes if he knows what's good for him. His father and I won't tolerate nonsense, not me and Silverhawk."

Goosekit remembered that voice—it was Wolfcoat—Goosekit's mother.

Hmm… Goosekit thought. I wonder what mother looks like? She sounds so close, if I could just…. Goosekit strained his eyes, but they didn't budge.

"Come on Goosekit, you can do it!" Moonkit, Goosekit thought. My sister!

With that, the tiny, speckled tom-kit's eyes gave a slight pop, and the colors all rushed into his sapphire-blue eyes. The brown nursery, which was coated with an odd, white substance, the clear blue sky beyond the thorns broken by the black shadow of a bird. Then, a pretty, reddish she-kit saw his open eyes. "Wolfcoat, Wolfcoat, come and see—Goosekit opened his eyes!"

"Okay Poppykit, I'm coming." Came his mothers voice. She then spoke more softly. "How Sweetbriar ever puts up with your antics, I don't know." Wolfcoat entered the den, causing Goosekit to whimper slightly.

Wolfcoat was a massive gray cat, with short, shaggy dark fur and piercing green eyes. Goosekit noticed several other kits, including a light colored she-kit—Sunkit, he thought, and even a reddish tom—Pinekit, who was just days from becoming an apprentice, shrinking away in nervousness.

"Humph," Wolfcoat said, "He looks weak, not as strong as my Moonkit. Goosekit saw a silver she-kit, who must have been his sister, wince. She must not like Wolfcoat, Goosekit mused, and I can't say I blame her. But before Goosekit even realized it, his mother was gone back out into the camp.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N—Hi, this is LightningZephyr. I'm happy that people have begun reviewing so soon! Also, see if you can figure out who all of the characters are. I'll also issue a challenge. Mallowkit (daughter of Mosswillow) appears in the actual books. Where does she appear and who is she? Review your thoughts. P.S—I know that Moonflower is seen as an apprentice in TR but I don't accept that as canon because it conflicts with BP. PPS—26 views—great!**

"Hey, Goosekit, don't look so sad—Wolfcoat is like that to everyone—except Silverhawk, and sort of me, too." Goosekit spun around. It was Moonkit. She was smaller than Goosekit, yet clearly stronger, and had just stepped into a spot where sun shone through the nursery, causing her fluffy silver fur to shine. "Come with me, I'll show you the camp, but watch out for the snow—it's cold."

Following his littermate out of the den, Moonkit showed Goosekit a clump of dry, dead bracken that seemed to have a pale gray shape laying between the dry fronds. Carefully, Goosekit watched his sister's silvery paw tentatively reaching out, poking it.

"Ow," said a voice, "can't you pesky kits keep to your on den?" The speaker was a medium-sized tabby tom.

"But Stonepaw! I thought—"

"Just go away"

Turning away, Moonkit had soon introduced her brother to the other apprentices, as well as Fennelfern, the medicine cat, and Beestar, the clan leader.

"Now, just wait here, young she-cat," Beestar said, his ringed tail curving smoothly.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you heading towards Fennelfern's den? She doesn't like kits in her den. You should know that by now. You're a quarter moon old."

"But—"

"No buts. Step away from the medicine den." Then beestar paused. "Would you like to see an apprentice ceremony?"

"Oh yes, right Goosekit?"

"Sure." To tell the truth, he wasn't that exited. What was the point of attacking each other randomly?

Beestar promptly leaped onto the Highrock. "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock to hear my words!" Curiously, the ThunderClan cats grouped under the stone. "Pinekit, Poppykit, come forward." Realization dawning upon their faces, the reddish siblings stumbled up.

"Pinekit, do you promise to follow and uphold the warrior code in all that you do?"

"I-I do"

"Then by the powers of StarClan, you are now Pinepaw. Spottedpelt, you have a strong history. I trust you to pass your skills for climbing and jumping to Pinepaw." Goosekit watched as the old tortoiseshell touched her nose to Pinepaw.

"Poppykit, do you promise to follow and uphold the warrior code in all that you do?"

"Yes." Poppykit replied, more sure than her brother. "Then by the powers of StarClan, you are now Poppypaw. Stormtalon, you will mentor Poppypaw." The noses touched, gray and red, then they stood back.

Goosekit was surprised, and a little sad. The siblings had been kind to him in the short life he'd had. Shaking his head, Goosekit trudged through the snow to congratulate the apprentices.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: To Thornflower—Goosekit is Goosefeather, Moonkit is Moonflower, Poppypaw is Poppydawn, Pinepaw is Pinestar, but there is no BP character named Stonetail.**

 **Thanks to everyone for their much appreciated support. You all are helping more than you'd ever believe.**

Four moons later, Goosekit woke up to the sound of his own dry coughs tearing through the nursery like great big sobs. He heard Wolfcoat grumble. Lilysong, who had moved in two moons ago with Eagleflight's kits, was more understanding.

"It's okay Goosekit," the heavily pregnant queen said, "let's get you to Fennelfern."

Standing up on wobbly legs, Goosekit leaned against Lilysong, letting the queen lead him towards the entrance to the nursery. Nodding to Starlingfeather and Larksong, who were standing their warrior vigil, to the medicine den, where Goosekit swore he'd already heard coughing.

He was right. When he and Lilysong arrived at the nursery, Goosekit saw three apprentices sprawled across the medicine den floor: Pinepaw, Poppypaw, and Tawnypaw, with a skinny brown she-cat—Fennelfern, standing over them, her blue eyes ringed with tiredness.

"Not Goosekit too," the she-cat said tiredly. I just got Sweetbriar and Mosswillow away, I don't need Wolfcoat, of all cats. She'd just complain."

Lilysong mumbled something about Wolfcoat not caring at all, but all the white queen said was to take care of Goosekit.

"Alrighty then," Fennelfern said, "get in the nest. Go on now, right, perfect. You and the others have just got a little bout of greencough, you'll be fin in a jiffy." That was the last thing Goosekit heard before he was plunged into a hazy sleep.

When Goosekit awoke, he was in a starry forest, the three sick apprentices in front of him. As his eyes focused on Tawnypaw, he gasped. He saw Tawnypaw becoming a warrior—Tawnydots? He saw an older Tawnypaw in the deputy seat, then on a nest, then a pale she-cat grooming the tom's matted fur, then Tawnyspots lowered into the ground by an elderly Stonepaw and Larksong. But a kit had been born, a dark silver tom, with evil eyes, evil eyes.

Then Goosekit looked to Poppypaw. She was a warrior, then she had an apprentice, now the apprentice was grown, watching her have kits as an older Moonkit watched, two kits at her belly. Then one of her kits, blood streaking his pelt, eyes hungry for battle.

With growing terror, Goosekit turned to Pinepaw, then shrieked, as Adderpaw would put it, "like a little she-kit". Goosekit saw Pinepaw scream, splitting down the middle to reveal a massive tabby tom. Goosekit saw him, biting down on a red tailed toms throat, a ShadowClan patrol being led into ThunderClan, a golden tom, dead, a sprawled out tortoiseshell with herbs still in her claws. By now there were just images going by. A mangled leg, bloody brown fur, a bloody queen laid out with rabbits, a broken body…

When Goosekit awoke, he remembered nothing of the day.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Well, this was a difficult chapter to write. Here's why some cats (I'm looking at you, Adderfang) don't like our friend Goosekit anymore. Oh wait. Try Goose** ** _paw_** **. One chapter 4, coming up!—**

The next three moons went by quickly. Stonepelt and Stormtail had become warriors, and Lilysong's daughters; Swiftkit and Runningkit, had been born, healthy as a greenleaf rain. And, Moonpaw and Goosepaw had been apprenticed as well, though not to the cats Goosepaw had expected. He was the medicine apprentice! After receiving a vision of a lily by a fast-running stream, Fennelfern had asked him to be her apprentice, especially after Lilysong's kitting, which had been the day after he entered the medicine den with greencough. Meanwhile, Moonpaw had been apprenticed to Stormtalon, though after his early and tragic death, she was put under Starlingfeather's training.

 _It's been such a fun nine moons_ , Goosepaw thought, _but with the battle tonight…._

Earlier that moon, ShadowClan had killed Stormtalon in a border dispute, and Patchfang refused to be comforted. So ThunderClan was going to attack.

The patrol was made up of many of ThunderClan's warriors. Beestar, Twigtail, Silverhawk, Wolfcoat, Patchfang, Spottedpelt, Gorseclaw, Featherheart, Starlingfeather, Redstorm, Frostwhisker, Mallowpaw, Pinepaw, Sunpaw, and Moonpaw. Goosepaw was going to treat the wounded.

The plan was going fine. ThunderClan attacked ShadowClan, ripping through the camp, and warning them not to mess with ShadowClan. It was on the return trip when things went horribly wrong.

"We're approaching the Thunderpath," Goosepaw heard Twigtail whisper to Starlingfeather, her daughter, "we'll be home to Larksong soon.

"ShadowClan, attack!" Goosepaw swung around in horror. On a large, blackened tree stump stood a sleek black she-cat—Blackshade, the ShadowClan deputy, with bright pelted Blazestar beside her. In a split second, the air was rent with screams, ThunderClan cats falling all around as the dark-pelted cats attacked. Suddenly, Goosepaw saw Sunpaw's light brown and white head disappearing between two ShadowClan warriors, slashing at her young body.

That was when Goosepaw, who hadn't had a day of training in his entire life, went completely berserk.

Claws ripping and tearing, Goosepaw threw himself at the ShadowClan warriors. Taken aback at a medicine cat apprentice showing so much ferocity, he had them limping away within minutes.

"ShadowClan, retreat!" whipping his head around, Goosepaw saw Blazestar leading his cats back. The clearing was suddenly deserted. Only half of ThunderClan still stood.

"G-Goose-p-paw?"

"Sunpaw! You're alive!"

"H-Ha. N-not for l-l-long."

"Don't say that! You'll be fine."

"N-no, I w-w-won't. I'm going to StarClan. Goodbye."

With that, the little apprentice gave one last labored breath, then closed her eyes forever.

Many cats died that day, not including Sunpaw. Twigtail, Silverhawk, Wolfcoat, Patchfang, Featherheart, Gorseclaw, and even Beestar had not made it from the battle. But there was one problem.

"This is all your fault Goosepaw. You let Sunpaw die!" Goosepaw could feel the angry gazes looking down on him, Mumblefoot, Mosswillow, even Moonpaw, glared as Goosepaw watched Adderpaw cross the camp, his words ringing in the speckled apprentice's ears.


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone, I'm sorry for the delay in updating. Congrats to**

 **Spottedwing. Mallowpaw is indeed Mallowfur. In the next few chapters, you'll see some of the rivalries form. Hope you all enjoy it!**

Fourtrees glowed in the moonlight of the gathering as ThunderClan poured into the clearing. Two moons after the battle, Pinedusk and Poppydawn were now warriors, and Adderpaw, Mallowpaw, and Tawnypaw had just passed their assessments, to be warriors within days. High on the Great Rock, Eaglestar paced with Batstar of WindClan, their tails lashing.

Soon, Silverstar led in RiverClan, his plume like tail kinked above his back.

"Ah, hello Goosepaw." Goosepaw swung around. Hawkpaw. The dark apprentice was the brother of Ravenpaw, the pretty WindClan medicine apprentice. "What, aren't you happy to see me? We were friends."

"You attacked me and Fennelfern when we went to ask Brightleaf and Ravenpaw for herbs."

"You don't deserve WindClan herbs, so _shut up_!" Suddenly, the gray and brown apprentice was mouse lengths away from Goosepaw's face.

"Not fighting with a medicine apprentice, are we, Hawkpaw?" Both apprentices swung around. Fernfoot and Thrushfeather, the two clan deputies, were standing behind them.

"Come on, Goosepaw, you'd probably better go over with those other cats," Thrushfeather said, pointing his tail over to Moonpaw, who was talking with a silver and orange she-cat.

"Oh, aren't you ThunderClan's medicine cat?" Goosepaw's nose told him that she was ShadowClan, which had just entered the clearing, but he didn't recognize her from the battle—probably a good thing. "I'm Silverflame. I had my first litter a few moons ago. This is my first time back to the gathering."

"Oh," Goosepaw said, curious—hey, she wasn't in the battle, "what are your kits' names?"

"Brightkit, Blizzardkit, and Mudkit. Mistfur's the father."

Confused about the ShadowClan she-cat's friendliness, Goosepaw remembered that as a queen, she would not have taken place in the battle. However, just as Goosepaw turned to Moonpaw, the gathering began.

Three days later, Goosepaw was in the nursery as the sun rose. Goosepaw was checking on Starlingfeather, who had moved into the nursery a quarter moon ago with Pinedusk's kits. The Clan had been surprised at the young cat's pregnancy, but, Goosepaw had begun to think she was expecting a few days before Pinedusk's warrior ceremony, and they wanted it kept secret. Truthfully, she was due within the next half moon.

"OWCH! the dark tabby practically screeched. "What are you doing back there? I feel like I'm being ripped open."

Slowly, Goosepaw turned, confused. "I'm not even touching you, what are you talking about?" It was true. The gray apprentice had been fetching some herbs. Then it dawned on him, and one look over at Lilysong, who was nursing Sparrowkit and Swiftkit, confirming it. Apparently, Starlingfeather realized it too.

"HELP! I'M HAVING MY KITS!" In the loudest screech feline-ly possible, Starlingfeather announced the coming kits to the entire forest.

Pinedusk was there so fast Goosepaw could have sworn he'd simply materialized. "I'll go get Fennelfern."

"You can't," Goosepaw said. "She's sick. It's not safe for Fennelfern or Starlingfeather. If she passes it to the kits, they'll all die."

As soon as he said that, Goosepaw frantically got to work, immediately realizing that something was wrong. Starlingfeather was losing too much blood.

By sun high, the first kit was coming. And the next. Within hours, there were three. All dead. Starlingfeather was gasping for air, desperately hanging on to life by a thread.

And with a shudder, the thread of life was cut.


	7. Chapter 6

**Starlingfeather's death is why Pinedusk, A.K.A. Pinestar, didn't pay much attention to Leopardfoot. Also, how what would you rate this idea for a book: A super powered wolf must save the universe from an ancient evil. I'm aiming to publish it, and would like your feedback.**

"It's not your fault, Goosepaw," Moonpaw said. "Starlingfeather was young, she should have waited to have kits."

With a snort, Goosepaw turned his head. Three days since Starlingfeather's death, and all he could do was to blame himself.

 _Besides, he thought, all she wants to do is talk to stupid—_

"Stormtail!" Moonpaw called!

"Oh, hi. Hey, Moonpaw, do you wanna go on patrol?" Stormtail had answered him. Giving her brother an apologetic glance, she followed the warrior out of camp. Goosepaw sighed. Stormtail was handsome, silent, and good with the she-cats. Exactly why Goosepaw didn't trust him.

Then, from across the camp, Goosepaw saw Lilysong. Her normally smooth pelt was ruffled, and calm blue eyes spiked with fear. The medicine cat apprentice immediately ran over to the queen.

"Goosepaw! Thank StarClan you're here. Swiftkit's missing! I think she's missing."

"Adderpaw!" Goosepaw yowled, "get over here." As soon as the tabby Tom arrived, he explained the situation, then rushed out, Adderpaw followed him.

Swiftkit wasn't at Snakerocks, nor was the cute little kit at the great sycamore either. She wasn't even at fourtrees.

"Help! I'm falling!"

Goosepaw and Adderpaw stared at each other, fear lighting the latter's gaze. The stream!

As soon as the apprentices arrived, they saw her. The tiny kit was hanging on by her jaws to a branch, no bigger than a twig, over the black water below, her little white teeth digging into the bark.

Goosepaw yowled in shock as Adderpaw jumped up, catching Swiftkit. But the young cats had been swept off the twig.

But just as Goosepaw was about to save the two two, a huge gray blur rushed past, knocking him into the stream. The cat grabbed the two, then hauled them out, Swiftkit not taking her gaze off Adderpaw once. Looking up, Goosepaw saw Moonpaw, as well as—

 _Stormtail_! Goosepaw thought, anger and embarrassment flooding his mind, intensifying when he saw the look Moonpaw was giving the tom. _Why doesn't he ever give_ me _a chance. He just wants_ Moonpaw _to like him._

And, absorbed in his hateful thoughts, Goosepaw didn't notice the others as they left, leaving the speckled tom all alone, not to return until nightfall, sad and beaten.


End file.
